Jim Gillespie profiled: St Mirren vice-chairman 'set' to become Rangers CEO as club land Bisgrove successor

Rangers have identified St Mirren vice-chairman Jim Gillespie as their first-choice candidate to become new CEO of the Ibrox club - with an appointment close to being confirmed.

It was reported over the weekend that Gers officials are ‘hopeful’ of landing Gillespie in the coming weeks with a contract yet to be thrashed out with the man they view as an ideal replacement for James Bisgrove, who quit the club in favour of a move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Qadsiah in June.

Chairman John Bennett - who filled the role on a temporary basis - has led an extensive search for Bisgrove’s successor and it was claimed last month that current Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay was on the Light Blues’ radar. But it now seems increasingly likely that Rangers have settled on Gillespie, who has been a director at the Paisley side for the last four years and has vast boardroom experience.

If Gillespie is Rangers preferred candidate, he will be tasked with assuring supporters the club are moving in the right direction after Bisgrove’s shock departure coincided with major delays to ongoing construction works on the Copland Road Stand.

Here, GlasgowWorld breaks down everything you need to know about St Mirren’s vice-chairman...

Who is Jim Gillespie? 

Jim Gillespie is the current St Mirren vice-chairman and award-winning chief executive at Renfrewshire care charity, The Kibble. The 46-year-old joined Kibble in 2014 as an executive director before taking on the chief executive role three years later. He was named ‘Regional Director of the year’ for Glasgow and the West - for his work at Kibble - at the Institute of Director Awards in 2019. An experienced boardroom operator, he has also provided consultancy on police development and implementation to governments in the UK.

When did he join St Mirren? 

Gillespie joined St Mirren as a director in March 2020. He was appointed on completion of Kibble purchasing a 27.5 percent stake in the club in a move which played a huge part in transitioning to fan ownership. He accepted the post as a Kibble representative on the board of directors before stepping up to become vice-chairman in April 2021.

At the time of his confirmed appointment, he said: “It is a privilege to take on this position. I know what an important institution St Mirren FC is in the local area and what it means to our loyal fans and local community. The board are working hard to achieve fan ownership and having the infrastructure in place to continue the progress that has been seen both on and off the field in the last year. This is an exciting time for St Mirren.”

What has he achieved in Paisley? 

Gillespie has been an important figure behind the scenes in Paisley in recent years. Through his work at Kibble, he oversaw the purchase shareholding in the club which helped facilitate a fan ownership model through the St Mirren Independent Supporters Association (SMiSA).

Working under current Buddies chairman John Needham, he is involved in key decision-making. It was Gillespie who initially talked up then-Morcambe boss Stephen Robinson as the perfect fit for St Mirren two years ago and sold the manager on taking over the reigns from Aberdeen-bound Jim Goodwin. Gillespie also works closely with chief operating officer Keith Lasley across a number of different areas, including the handling of contract discussions. He is understood to have played an influential role in the signing of Cypriot international and fan favourite Alex Gogic.

Robinson previously stated his conversations with Gillespie behind the scenes were a big factor in his decision to return north of the border. He stated at the time: “When I spoke to Jim and he told me the ambitions, the set-up, the training facilities and what they are trying to improve with it, it was a very exciting opportunity that was difficult for me to turn down.” The Northern Irishman later added: “I work closely with Jim Gillespie who is part of the Kibble ownership and I work closely with SMISA and I have had nothing but support and direction. Everybody is pulling in the same direction at this football club.”

During his time with Saints, the club have achieved historic back-to-back top six finishes in the Scottish Premiership and returned to European football for the first time in 37 years this season - eventually losing out to Norwegian outfit SK Brann in the Conference League third qualifying round.

Does he have any links to Rangers? 

According to The Scottish Sun, Gillespie is a "lifelong Rangers fan" and has contacts at the club. He is often spotted in the directors box at St Mirren matches at the SMiSA Stadium and recently attended the draw against SK Brann seated alongside former Ibrox player Ryan Jack.